Pottery, a heritage industry that supports the economy of the Basang Tamiang Community, Kapal Traditional Village

Pottery is a handicraft made from clay and shaped in such a way. In daily life, people often use pottery to support their lives.

In Kapal Village, there is an area called Banjar Basang Tamiang where the people make pottery which has been passed down from generation to generation. Pottery crafts also support the economy of the people there.

Pottery making in Banjar Basang Tamiang has been carried out for generations since around 1171 to 1181. This is also related to the reign of King Sri Aji Jaya Pangus at that time.

At that time, Sri Aji Jaya Pangus carried out an expedition to China. Upon Sri Aji Jaya Pangus' return from China, he has learned many things about the social culture of the people there. His return brought customs and culture, one of which was pottery.

Various pottery productions of the Basang Tamiang community (Photo source: private collection)

At that time, Chinese craftsmen were immediately brought to the area and introduced to the community. As it developed, people were able to produce their own pottery and pottery crafts were developed for people's daily needs.

There are various kinds of pottery crafts that people usually make. What is commonly produced by the community are usually crafts for religious ceremonies such as jun pere, coblong, jun tandeg, carat, dulang, and others.

Apart from producing crafts for religious ceremonies, people also produce other crafts such as pots, piggy banks, clay barrels, and others.

Making pottery crafts in Banjar Basang Tamiang is unique. What makes it unique is that it is still made using a traditional tool called "pemubutan".

Even though they still use traditional methods to make pottery, people are used to making hundreds of crafts per day.

The process of making this pottery craft is fairly simple. First, the clay is dried in the sun until dry, then the clay is mixed with crushed and sifted rock. After that, add enough water and shape it into a dough that can be shaped according to the wishes and needs of the pottery craft to be made.

The existence of pottery craftsmen in Banjar Basang Tamiang, Kapal Traditional Village also has a belief that is believed by the community. The belief is that every family in Basang Tamiang must have a pottery craftsman.

People believe that if there is no one who becomes a pottery craftsman, it can destroy family harmony and cause incurable diseases.

Another unique thing is that if one of the Basang Tamiangs marries out, their ability to make pottery will disappear completely even though that person has quite good skills in making pottery.

Vice versa, if someone marries Basang Tamiang people, that person will immediately be able to make pottery just by watching the process briefly.

The pottery craft in Banjar Basang Tamiang, Kapal Village is a heritage that needs to be preserved and supported in its development so that it remains sustainable from time to time.